Classes

Upcoming events

• Feather Identification Class

  • When
    Sat, July 13, 2013
  •  
    9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    Southeast Austin
  • Spaces left
    28

  Register

  Saturday July 13, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

  Learn everything you need to know to master bird feather identification with Dave Scott, author of Bird Feathers: A Guide to North American Species. This class will teach participants to identify feathers that they find in the field through a combination of shape, size, and color. Dave will share all of the information necessary to unlock the mysteries found within a single feather. This class will not only teach you how to identify feathers but will help you understand an incredible amount about the flight, lives, and habits of the world’s bird species. Knowledge of wing morphology and feather identification is an amazing addition to your birding tool box, and this class will provide you with a great start.

  Dave Scott is a skilled wildlife tracker and naturalist who has been involved in environmental education since 2003. Dave's focus as an educator is to help his students reconnect with the natural world through wildlife tracking, increased sensory awareness, wilderness survival skills, and the development of a strong sense of place. Dave is the founder of Earth Native Wilderness School in Austin where he currently teaches courses on bird feather identification, wildlife tracking, wilderness survival, and ecology. For more information, visit www.EarthNativeSchool.com. Autographed copies of Bird Feathers: A Guide to North American Species will be available for purchase at the class, cash or check accepted.

  The class will be half lecture/power point and half hands-on feather identification using the field guide. Dave will be bringing feathers from over 50 species occurring in North America for students to identify in small groups during the second half of the class. The workshop is limited to 36 participants and will be held on Saturday, July 13, from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm in southeast Austin. Plan to bring your lunch to eat on-site. Tuition is $45 for TAS members and $60 for non-members. Register online for the class. For more information, contact Shelia Hargis at shelia.hargis@gmail.com or at 294-0272.

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• Hummingbird Identification Class

  • Start
    Tue, July 30, 2013
  •  
  • End
    Sun, August 11, 2013
  • Location
    Southeast Austin
  • Spaces left
    0

  Registration is closed

  Tuesdays , July 30 and August 6

  Ft Davis Field Trip ,August 9- August 11

  Central Texans have a wealth of hummingbirds visiting us each year. From our nesting Ruby-throated and Black-chinned Hummingbirds to the elusive visitors like Broad-billed Hummingbirds and Green-breasted Mango, Central Texas hummingbirds can be a challenge to identify.

  This class will introduce the fifteen hummingbird species that have been seen in Central Texas. Mark Klym will discuss their ranges, habitat, and frequency of occurrence, and will emphasize those characteristics that can be used for effective identification, and sounds that can be used for locating and differentiating these birds. Each species will be examined in detail, looking at key diagnostic features, and compared to similar, often confusing species.

  Mark Klym is Coordinator of the Texas Hummingbird Roundup and Texas Wildscapes programs for Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD). He is also co-author of Hummingbirds of Texas (Texas A&M Press, 2005). No prior birding experience is necessary. Participants will receive a Hummingbird Roundup kit from TPWD as well as other handouts.

  Two lecture sessions will be held on Tuesday evenings July 30 and August 6 at a central Austin location. An optional field trip to the Fort Davis area will be offered August 9-11.

  Tuition for the class is $40 for TAS members and $55 for non-members. For those who go on the field trip, there will be an additional fee of $90 to cover Mark's expenses. A minimum of 10 and maximum of 15 people can attend the field trip. For more information, contact Jane Tillman at mljt@austin.utexas.edu . If you have taken the class before and want to go on the field trip only, contact Jane to be put on the waiting list in case there is space available.

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• Wildlife Tracking Class

  • When
    Sat, August 03, 2013
  •  
    9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    Southeast Austin
  • Spaces left
    18

  Register

  Saturday August 3, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

  Don't just look up, look down! Through wildlife track and sign interpretation, a trained observer can discover the stories of animal movement and interactions on a given landscape and in the process gain a much greater understanding of animal behavior. In this class, expert wildlife tracker, Dave Scott, will introduce you to some of the core concepts behind accurate track and sign identification and interpretation. Topics discussed will include: basic mammal and bird foot morphology as a tool for track identification, gait pattern interpretation, ecological tracking, and methods for accurately recording tracks and sign found in the field.

   

  Dave Scott is a skilled wildlife tracker and naturalist who has been involved in environmental education since 2003. Dave's focus as an educator is to help his students reconnect with the natural world through wildlife tracking, increased sensory awareness, wilderness survival skills, and the development of a strong sense of place. Dave is the founder of Earth Native Wilderness School in Austin where he currently teaches courses on bird feather identification, wildlife tracking, wilderness survival, and ecology. For more information, visit www.EarthNativeSchool.com.

  The class will be divided between lecture and field work. The workshop is limited to 24 participants and will be held on Saturday, August 3, from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. Plan to bring your lunch to eat on-site. Tuition is $60 for TAS members and $75 for non-members. Register online for the class. For more information, contact Shelia Hargis at shelia.hargis@gmail.com or at 294-0272.

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